COMMUNICATION MEDIA (METHODS)

The choice of the method of communication is affected by a number of factors. It is therefore

required that the method used best suits the particular situation. Each type has its merits and
demerits.

1. ORAL COMMUNICATION
This is the transfer of information from the sender to the receiver by word of mouth. It includes
face to face conversations, interviews, speeches, in-person presentations and meetings.
MERITS
 oral communication provides immediate feedback e.g. queries, comments, consensus,
decision etc
 It allows a certain ease of interaction.
 It involves rich nonverbal cues (both physical gestures and vocal inflections) or
accompanied by nonverbal signals.
 It helps express emotions behind one’s message.
 It can be used to persuade or convince.
DEMERITS
 It restricts participation to those physically present.
 Unless recorded, no permanent verifiable record of communication is provided.
 If people interrupt or ask unanticipated questions, the communicator’s control over the
message is either reduced or lost.
 There is little or no chance to revise or edit spoken words.
 It is a poor medium to convey sensitive and controversial messages.

2. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
This is the transfer of information from the sender to the receiver using written words. Written
words take many forms from letters to magazines.
The use of ink and paper shapes this type of communication. Examples include memos, letters,
reports etc.
MEMORANDA: these are used for the routine day-to-day exchange of information within an
organization. (Email memos are becoming popular.)
LETTERS: these are written messages sent to recipients outside the organization. So in addition
to conveying a particular message, they perform a public relations function in fostering good
working relationships.
REPORTS: these can be distributed to insiders and outsiders depending on their purpose and
subject.
MERITS
 It allows one to plan and control the message.
 it offers a permanent verifiable record
 It can help an organization to reach an audience that is geographically dispersed.
 it minimizes distortion that accompanies oral messages
 It can be used when communicating controversial messages to avoid immediate
interactions.
 It can be used to confirm oral communication.
 Transmission is flexible.
 It can be duplicated and sent to many people.

DEMERITS
 It does not give immediate feedback.
 It lacks nonverbal cues provided by oral media.
 It takes more time and more resources to create and distribute.
 elaborate printed documents can require special skills in preparation and production (
expensive)
 It is difficult to modify once transmitted.
 Written records can be damaged e.g. by fire or can get lost in transit.
3. ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION
This is communication by the use of electronic equipment. Electronic media span a diverse and
expanding range of technology from Email and IM to Blogs
MERITS
 Delivers messages with great speed.
 Reach audiences physically separated from you.
 They offer persuasive power of multimedia formats.
 Can increase accessibility and openness within an organization.

DEMERITS
 they can inadvertently create tension and conflict : electronics can give the illusion of
anonymity, so people say things online that they would never say in person or in a
traditional document e.g. blogs
 It is easy to overuse electronics resulting in information overload.
 There is exposure of companies to data security threats and malicious software e.g.
computer viruses, information theft, spyware etc.
 it sometimes lack privacy:
IMs, emails, and voice mails can end up in places you never thought of.
Employers can legally monitor electronic messages and these messages can be
subpoenaed for court cases.
 They can seriously drain employee productivity. Some employees can be distracted by a
constant stream of emails, IMs, voice mails, conference calls and faxes.
Examples of electronic media includes: fax, radio, computer, TV, DVDs etc.
4. VISUAL COMMUNICATION
Visual communication is achieved by the use of sight i.e. seeing with ones eyes. The use of
symbols, pictures e.g. maps, posters, charts, tables shapes this type of communication. It is
important to note that graphic communication falls under visual communication. However we
will try to discuss it separately so as to bring out the difference.
MERITS
o Increases understanding of numerical information.
o It enhances and reinforces oral communication.
o Visuals attract and hold attention, helping your audience understand and remember
your message.
o Visuals can often convey some message points more effectively and efficiently than
words.
DEMERITS
o If not accompanied by written words, most visual are difficult to interpret.
o Visuals are expensive to produce and in many cases require skilled Labour.
o Poorly produced visuals can mislead.
o visual consume a lot of time to produce

5. GRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
Graphic communication is a form of visual communication which relies on the use of charts,
tables, diagrams, and graphs to convey statistical information. Visual communication is
communicating using visual images – photographs, pictures and drawings.
Graphic communication has far more impact than spoken and written words. However in many
cases it has to be accompanied with written words as it may not be self-explanatory.
6. AUDIO COMMUNICATION
Audio communication is communication by the use of sounds. Sounds like
those produced by:
 drums
 a car horn
 an alarm
 bell
 Whistle etc.
Audio communication boasts of speed but the sounds produced can be
misleading.

7. NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
It is the flow of information from the sender to the receiver without the
use of spoken or written words; it is also called body language. One can
communicate nonverbally through:
 gestures
 posture
 facial expression
 eye contact
 personal appearance
 vocal characteristics
 space
 t
o
u
c
h
M
E
R
I
T
S
 it adds value to oral communication
 it is
useful for truth
revelation
DEMERITS
 Extreme care must be taken to interpret nonverbal signals correctly.
 It can weaken the value of the message if the signals do not match with
words.